anna nalick

Early years

She says in her Columbia Records biography that ever since she was a little girl she wanted to be a performer and that she actually began to write songs in fifth grade. Reportedly, while showing off her talents to her third grade teacher, her teacher told her that she'd end up "one day on Jay Leno's show." Leno recounted that story when Nalick actually did perform on his show earlier this year, quipping "which shows you how long I've been running this show".

Anna grew up in Glendora, California, just east of Pasadena. As a teenager, she says she grew up in a household where her parents spun a wide variety of artists. Her mother turned her on to bands such as The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin, while her father turned her to Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers. Anna began her songwriting career in the fifth grade. She officially cites her influences as Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Blind Melon, John Mayer, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. She says of Vaughan that he is "the guy that I'm going to marry when I get to heaven." In high school, in addition to writing her own songs, she performed with a Rush cover band.

Nalick initially decided to go to college and then only afterward pursue her dream of music, but she met a photographer who said that she had a student in the high school at which she teaches who have parents in the music business. Nalick agreed to pass along a six song demo tape, and soon enough, was introduced to Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith, the founding members of Blind Melon now turned production team, and Eric Rosse, best known for his production work with Tori Amos. Putting her college plans on hold, in October, 2003 she signed on with Columbia Records. Anna went into the studio with Thorn, Smith and Rosse as producers, together with mix-engineer Mark Endert (Fiona Apple, Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw) and an all-star group of musicians that included Smith on bass, Thorn on guitar, Rosse and Zak Rae on keyboards, Lyle Workman and Stuart Mathis on guitar, Joey Waronker and Matt Chamberlain on drums. The result is the Wreck of the Day two years later.

Early commercial success (2004-present)

Nalick's first single from her Wreck of the Day album was "Breathe (2 A.M.)", which peaked to #45 U.S. and went 3x Platinum on the Billboard Hot 100, and went huge on Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40, both at #6. It was heavily played on AAA and Hot AC stations across the U.S., along with light airplay on Pop stations, and Nalick became one of 2005's biggest newcomers. Her video for the track got very heavy airplay on VH1 and some MTV airplay as well.

In the fall of 2005 Nalick when released "In The Rough", the single was moderately successful charting on the Billboard Adult Top 40 at #15. Her album sales only slightly increased after the release of "In The Rough"; most say it was that the last single was almost a full year ago and most have forgotten Nalick. However, Wreck of the Day, up to this time, has sold over 615,000 copies with a Gold certification from the RIAA, and a #20 peak on the Billboard 200.

Currently, Anna Nalick is working on a second album due by the end of 2006 (title TBA), while opening for the Dixie Chicks on their Accidents & Accusations Tour. Meanwhile, her first single from Wreck of the Day, "Breathe", is experiencing a resurgence on worldwide charts following a prolific appearance in a Grey's Anatomy episode (As We Know It), aired February 16, 2006. Nalick is experiencing success in New Zealand with her album "Wreck of The Day" reaching the Top 15 albums on the Top 40 Albums Chart.

Discography

Albums

• Wreck of the Day (2005) #20 US RIAA Certification: Gold
• TBA (2006)

Singles

• 2005 "Breathe (2 A.M.)#45 Hot 100(Platinum) US: #4 Adult Contemporary, #6 Adult Top 40, #45 Pop 100, #40 ARC mainstream,# 31 Hot Digital Songs
• 2005 "In The Rough" US:#15 Adult Top 40
• 2006 "Breathe (2 A.M.) [Re-Entry] (3x Platinum) "# 45 US Hot 100, # 37 US Pop 100, # 20 Hot Digital Songs, # 25 Top 40 Mainstream "# 37 New Zealand RIANZ Charts
• 2006 "Breathe (2 A.M.) (Blake Jarrell Remix)"

External links

• Anna Nalick's official site by Sony/BMG/Columbia
• The Official Anna Nalick Message Board at Columbia Records